Here, you will find links to resources relating to community information systems generally and our project in particular.
Evaluation
Resources ll Information Communities
ll General Resources
Most evaluation tools developed for librarians and other government and non-profit organizations fail to help them determine the impact of their services on those who use them. The current tools focus on the wrong things. The mirror is turned toward the institution rather than the community--thus librarians collect data on circulation and reference questions asked per capita (etc.) rather than what are the outcomes of using library services or asking questions of librarians.
Our IMLS-funded study of community information (CI) has found that CI librarians are painfully aware both of the lack of and need for effective evaluation tools. Fifty-seven percent of the librarians who responded to our nationwide survey indicated that the approaches currently used to evaluate the public's use of CI information were NOT EFFECTIVE. Our study has found, however, that many librarians know how people have benefited from various CI services and products. A presentation we made to librarians at the American Library Association's 2000 identifies some of the benefits identified in our ongoing study.
There
is a convergence of thought among decision makers that governmental agencies,
libraries, museums, and non-profit organizations must begin to reshape
their services and products to focus more effectively on outcomes.
The tools librarians will need to use haven't yet been developed, but below
we feature some of the best of this emerging works on changing approaches
to evaluating public services in libraries and other organizations.
We pledge to keep librarians abreast of developments in this important
area.
Institute for Museum and Library Services (IMLS). (1999). Outcome-Based Evaluation for IMLS-Funded Projects for Libraries and Museums. [Washington D.C.]
From the introduction to the report: "In
the following two essays, Stephen Weil and Peggy Rudd present clear arguments
for the adoption of a specific approach to evaluation known as outcome-based
evaluation. They define a system of evaluation that replaces the question,
'What have we done to accomplish our goals?' with the question 'What has
changed as a result of our work?'"
United Way of America. (1996) Measuring Outcomes: A Practical Approach. [Alexandria, VA].
From the report: "A step-by-step manual for health, human service, and youth- and family-serving agencies on:
U.S. Department of Commerce, National Telecommunications and Information Administration. (2000) Evaluation Report: Technology Opportunities Program 1996 Projects. [Washington D.C.]
From the report: "In April, 2000, NTIA
released its Evaluation Report: Technology Opportunities Program — 1996
Projects. This report is one of a series of evaluations conducted by Westat,
a Rockville, Maryland, research and consulting firm. The report summarizes
findings from a survey of 49 projects funded by TOP in 1996 that were completed
and no longer receiving grant monies as of January 1, 1999. The purpose
of the study was to assess the effects that the funded projects are having
at the local and national levels. The study findings also provide a basis
for program improvements and lay the groundwork for continued and improved
collection of program data. According to the report, 'The results of the
[Year 2] survey show that the TOP program has continued to achieve its
mission of improving the nation's knowledge of and access to the information
infrastructure.'"
W.K. Kellogg Foundation. (1998) W.K. Kellogg Foundation Evaluation Handbook.
From the introduction to the handbook: "This handbook is guided by the belief that evaluation should be supportive and responsive to projects, rather than become an end in itself. It provides a framework for thinking about evaluation as a relevant and useful program tool. It is written primarily for project directors who have direct responsibility for the ongoing evaluation of W.K. Kellogg Foundation-funded projects. However, our hope is that project directors will use this handbook as a resource for other project staff who have evaluation responsibilities, for external evaluators, and for board members."
An information community is partnership of institutions and individuals forming and cultivating a community of interest around the provision and exchange of information, or knowledge, aimed at increasing access to that information or increasing communication, and thereby increasing that knowledge. Read more....
Community
Connector
As community information
systems grow and organize, Web-based resources for them also develop. The
mission of the Community Connector is to add value to these online resources.
By identifying, organizing, and critically assessing Web resources, the
team behind the Connector makes a searchable library of useful information
available to community information system staff and supporters, and to
others who are attempting to build and improve the quality of life within
geographic communities. The puzzle motif on the Community Connector's Web
site says it all: the site serves as a link between people and resources.
Institute
of Museum and Library Services (IMLS)
IMLS is a federal grantmaking agency located
in Washington D.C. that fosters leadership, innovation, and a lifetime
of learning by supporting museums and libraries. The Help Seeking in an
Electronic World project is funded by a $189,026 National Leadership Grant
from IMLS. These grants mark a new opportunity for libraries to address
pressing needs in education, research and preservation, and for libraries
and museums to work together to address community needs, expand audiences
and implement the use of the most efficient and appropriate technologies.
Related
IMLS-Funded Projects
The Institute for Museum and Library Services
provides National Leadership Grants to enhance library services. Follow
this link to view examples of IMLS-funded projects that share our interests
in such topics as the digital divide, community information, and evaluation
of services.
Help-Seeking Case Studies
We have conducted intensive case
studies in three communities (Portland, OR; Northeastern Illinois; Pittsburgh,
PA) that have received national recognition for their respective community
network and in which the local public library system plays a leading role.
The sites include:
Public
Space in Cyberspace
"This guide is designed to help reverse
the trend toward inequitable access to information and communication by
highlighting how we can preserve and continue to build public spaces in
cyberspace. It is up to all of us, inside and outside of the library system,
to support and challenge today's public library to meet the needs of the
21st century."